Arrowtown school launches new hangi pit outdoor learning area
Arrowtown School is leading the way, officially launching its dedicated hangi area – Nga Hau e Wha – Four Winds, a place for the school whanau to congregate and celebrate, the first of its kind for a local school.
Teacher Stacey Anderson says a farewell function for principal of nine years Chris Bryant on June 30 was the perfect opportunity to fire up the hangi.
Community and school volunteers all pitched in and the kids brought a potato each to put in the hangi with donated lamb also on the menu for invited dignitaries, including local school principals.
“It’s a place where we can celebrate our bicultural heritage, tell stories about our local history and teach our tamariki about different Maori concepts.” Flax will be planted in the area as well as vegetables which the children will harvest. “It will be a place for flax weaving, karakia (prayers) and waiata (singing).” It’s hoped volunteers will come and help the children plant out the veggie garden, where they can learn to nurture and grow vegetables that they’ll then cook in Food Technology,” says Stacey. Students have sold their own produce and harvested their own honey to sell at local markets before. “They will come up with their own concepts.”
Part of the multi-million-dollar school rebuild completed two years ago, the cultural area was incorporated into the architectural designs, designed especially for the school. Local kaumatua Darren Rewi also assisted from a cultural perspective.
Four posts in the design represent the four winds. A large koru is imbedded into the concrete on the ground beside the fire pit, built from fire bricks.
The school has a large and successful Kapa Haka contingent with senior and junior students performing at the opening. The school’s seniors were recently placed second in a Central Otago competition.
Hangi fundraisers have been a big part of Arrowtown School’s history, particularly when raising funds for Maori education and events. “We wanted to make that a permanent part of the school and the idea of a hangi pit was a great thing to expose the kids to,” says Stacey.
“This is an exemplary school for Te Reo Maori learning so it’s pretty special to see this all come together, and it was a nice way to farewell our principal after all his hard work,” she says. Chris played a big role in the hangi project, so it was fitting that their first hangi was in his honour.
Chris is taking up a newly created role as Ministry of Education Manager Integrated Services in Cromwell, working with schools and early childhood centres around Central Otago. “I will manage a team of experts who provide services and education advice to schools and centres,” he says.
Chris was delighted to see the new hangi pit in action. “Kaupapa Maori and Te Reo Maori are very important cultural aspects of the school.” The rebuild was an opportunity to incorporate the pit outdoor learning area with help from the ministry’s Special Infrastructure Projects fund. Children can now celebrate their whakapapa and pepeha, learning stories and celebrating different cultures.
Wakatipu High School deputy principal James Rasmussen will take over the Arrowtown principal’s role later this year.
